After all the hype and hope, something of a damp squib, in more ways than one, for European newcomers Wigan here in Bruges on Thursday night.

Torrential rain that challenged Wigan’s players to keep their feet, never mind the ball, hardly helped, but neither did an injury-influenced team selection that sent them into their first European tie without a recognised striker.

Manager Owen Coyle turned to Nick Powell, the on-loan Manchester United midfielder, to fill in as his only front-runner, and as a consequence moments of attacking menace were in short supply.

Coyle defended his decision to leave
Marc-Antoine Fortune on the bench until the 65th minute and saluted a
show of defensive solidity that was sorely tested near the end. ‘We have
three games in five days, and we have built a squad that is good enough
to make changes like this without weakening the team,’ Coyle said.

‘Nick can play up front, and he had no
qualms about it. From start to finish, I thought it was an outstanding
first appearance in Europe. We knew there would be spells where we had
to defend, and it was a hard-earned point.

‘If we had taken a bit more care on
the counter-attack, we would have scored ourselves, but overall the
players performed out of their skins. Everyone can feel proud of the way
they represented Wigan Athletic, including the fans who travelled in
numbers and walked three or four kilometres to the ground in pouring
rain.

‘Overall I was delighted to get the
campaign up and running in such positive fashion. It sets us up for the
rest of the group games.’

Wigan began their European debut
brightly enough but gradually surrendered the initiative and were on the
back foot long before half-time. It could so easily have been the
perfect start, after Zulte’s defence struggled to cope with a Powell
corner in only the third minute and the ball sailed towards James
McArthur 20 yards out.

The midfielder chested the ball down
before unleashing a half- volley that beat Zulte goalkeeper Sammy
Bossut, only to veer away from the target at the last moment and clip
the outside of a post.

It was still looking promising when Jordi Gomez scooped a chance over the bar in the 10th minute, but the picture soon changed.

Zulte began to find their rhythm and
it was largely down to a familiar name. Thorgan Hazard may have lived in
the shadow of older brother Eden for much of his life, but he is,
without question, the main man for Zulte.

The 20-year-old, on loan from Chelsea,
took a while to get into his stride, but when he did, he suggested he
could yet make his mark at Stamford Bridge. It was his cross that James
McClean inadvertently headed against his own bar on the half-hour, and
his delivery that so nearly sent the home side in with an advantage at
half-time.

Ibrahima Conte seized on it at the far
post and was denied only by a stunning reflex save from Wigan keeper
Scott Carson. Hazard was also at the hub of another Zulte raid that led
to one of those familiar heart-in-the-mouth moments for Carson in the
49th minute.

Leaving his line, Carson’s flailing
fist missed its target completely, as Habib Habibou beat him to the ball
with a header that bobbled inches wide of the post.

Wigan had their moments, notably when
Ryan Shotton steered a shot wide from a 52nd-minute corner and James
Perch forced a full-length save from another corner in the 68th minute.

But long before the end it became an exercise in survival, and Coyle will be heartened that his side at least came through that.